De La Salle University pulled out all the stops in overtime to survive arch-rival Ateneo de Manila University, 76-73, and notch its third straight win in the UAAP Season 89 Collegiate Men’s Basketball Tournament at the SMART Araneta Coliseum on Saturday.
With the Green Archers now holding a 51-50 lead in the storied rivalry, the game marked only the fourth overtime in 101 meetings between the two schools and the first since the Blue Eagles’ 76-72 victory on August 9, 2009, in Season 72.
And it certainly lived up to the billing.
“When the game went to overtime, we just reminded everybody about what we discussed before the game and we talked about our dreams. In every moment, the strongest dream will win that moment so we all dream about playing in the De La Salle-Ateneo rivalry. These guys just showed up and they believed in what we prepared for,” said La Salle head coach Topex Robinson.
(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team
Mason Amos’ booming triple against his former team gave La Salle a six-point cushion, 75-69, with 1:35 remaining in overtime. However, Ateneo refused to go down without a fight.
Kieffer Alas scored on back-to-back layups to cut the Blue Eagles’ deficit to two, 75-73, with 28.4 seconds left. His second basket came during a five-on-four situation after La Salle guard Joaquin Tovera injured his right ankle on a non-contact drive on the preceding play.
The Blue Eagles then put Green Archers center Henry Agunanne on the free-throw line, where he split his charities to keep the game within one possession, 76-73, with 17.6 seconds remaining.
Ateneo forward Travis Roberts attempted to bring his team closer with a turnaround jumper over Agunanne on the ensuing possession, but his shot missed badly. La Salle, however, failed to capitalize on the other end as Vhoris Marasigan missed both free throws.
The Blue Eagles’ hopes of completing the comeback took another hit when Alas failed to execute the inbound pass with 3.3 seconds left. His errant pass toward Jared Bahay struck the latter’s knee before bouncing out of bounds.
Doy Dungo then gave Ateneo another opportunity after missing both free throws with 2.4 seconds remaining, but Ian Espinosa’s desperation heave fell short, allowing La Salle to escape with the victory.
Unbeaten in the second round, the Green Archers continued their climb up the standings despite missing point guard Jacob Cortez for the second straight game. They improved to 6-4 and moved into solo third place.
Before exiting with his injury, Tovera delivered a well-rounded performance of 21 points, seven rebounds, and six assists.
Jcee Macalalag added 11 points, while Dungo contributed eight.
Agunanne finished with eight points and eight rebounds, highlighted by his game-tying dunk in regulation with 12.1 seconds remaining that sent the rivalry showdown into overtime.
La Salle will next face National University on November 8 at the Big Dome in a crucial showdown with major implications for the twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four. The Green Archers defeated the Bulldogs on opening day.
(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team
Bahay led Ateneo with 18 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and three steals as the Blue Eagles saw their two-game winning streak snapped, dropping to 5-5 in fifth place.
Alas also scored 18 points but struggled from the field, shooting eight-of-22 overall and one-of-12 from beyond the arc. Shawn Tuano and Roberts chipped in 12 points apiece.
Ateneo will look to get its Final Four push back on track when it takes on the University of the Philippines on November 7, also at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
The Scores:
DLSU 76 — Tovera 21, Macalalag 11, Dungo 8, Amos 8, Agunanne 8, Marasigan 6, Pablo 5, Abadam 5, Quines 2, Gagate 2, Cortez 0.
Ateneo 73 — Bahay 18, Alas 18, Tuano 12, Roberts 12, Kapihe 6, Baruwa 3, Espinosa 2, Rogers 2, Bongo 0, Cainglet 0, Espina 0, Leal 0.
Quarterscores: 17-20, 41-37, 51-48, 66-66, 76-73.
